And The Trials of Parenthood
by Softrock-showtunesgirlscout22
Summary: AU. After a tragedy, Flynn and Eve take on the challenge of adopting 4 year old Ezekiel Jones while their other children Cassie and Jake struggle to adapt to the changes around them. Evlynn and little Lits.
1. Chapter 1

And The Trials Of Parenthood

 **AU. Flynn and Eve take on the challenge of adopting 4 year old Ezekiel Jones while their other children struggle to adapt to the changes around them. Evlynn and little Lits.**

 **I own nothing.**

Jake remembered it well. The night his parents had sat him and Cassie down and explained that a little boy might be coming to live with them soon. They asked him if he was still okay with the idea as they had talked about it before.

Both Flynn and Eve having no siblings always wanted a big family and adopting seemed to be the right way to go after having Jake and Cassie.

It was called fostering, Eve had explained her children, it meant Ezekiel might not stay with them for long unless they seemed to adjust to each other.

"Now, we've talked about this and we won't go through with it unless everyone is into the idea." Flynn said softly kneeling in front of his children. Jake looked in between his parents and then at Cassie.

"Jake, sweetie?" Eve asked. "Do you want to say something?"

"Will I have to share my room?" It was a nice fair question for a 9 year old.

"No, I don't think you'll have to, each of you will have their own room." She said.

"Cassie?" Flynn looked over at his six year old. "What do you think? Do you think it's a good idea?"

Cassie looked over at Jenkins, the older man had been with the family since Flynn was a young man and he was the children's main care taker when Flynn and Eve were away. "Cassie?" Eve repeated the question.

"Well, we don't have to know right away but let's give it some thought, alright?" Eve told her children softly.

* * *

And so that night as Flynn knocked on Jake's door to tuck him in, the little boy was laying on his bed face down in a book.

The true son of a Librarian.

The Librarian.

"Jake? Light's out bud." Flynn entered the room slowly as Jacob varely registered his father's voice, at first anyway. "There he is." Flynn smiled as Jake looked up.

"Dad?" Jake moved into bed as Flynn pulled back the covers. "Can I ask you something?"

Flynn smiled. "Of course."

"This... this little boy that's coming. What happened to his parents?" Flynn's heart sank. "Why doesn't he live with them?"

"Well..." Flynn looked down fidgeting with the cover as he tucked it up to Jake's chin. "Apparently, something happened to them"

"They died?" Jake asked. Flynn sighed.

"Yes, they did." He was sure they'd be hell to pay if Eve found out he was telling their young son such a tale but Flynn was a terrible liar. And he'd never want his children to live a lie.

"Oh." Jake took a minute to process this. "Then I guess it's okay if he comes. I mean if he needs parents and a family, we could be his, right?"

Flynn smiled. "We could."

"Then I'm okay with it." Jake told him convingly. "I'm sure Cassie will too, she just doesn't understand."

"Alright, we'll talk about it in the morning." Flynn said reaching for the lamp. "Good night."

"Goodnight Dad." Jake said as Flynn closed the door behind him, just as Eve was coming out of Cassie's room.

"Is she asleep?" He asked.

"Yes, took me a while, she kept asking me about the adoption."

"Same with Jake, he told me it was alright if we moved forward." Flynn told her. Eve smiled.

"Yes Cassie's onboard too apparently."

"So, we're doing it?" Flynn asked. "I mean, we really, really are?"

Eve sighed as she sat down on the master bed. "I don't know, I mean it seemed like a good idea."

"Seemed?" Flynn inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to, a part of me at least." Eve admitted. She had noticed Flynn sitting behind her in bed. "But..."

"The other part isn't so sure." He said.

"Yeah, I feel like it's just us being crazy... we do have two amazing kids."

"Oh yeah, they're awesome." Flynn gave her a reassuring smile. "And two is a good number."

"But then I think of everything that's happened and how this child is like us, so scared... lost and it feels right."

"Do you want me to make the call tomorrow?" Flynn asked.

"Yes, let's call them."

* * *

And so they made the call and waited.

It would take a few days for Ezekiel, the little boy the agency had chose to get to New York. Eve made it her mission that week to get everything ready and in order for the arrival.

She and Flynn lived in an Annex. a complex like apartment on the back of the Metropolitan Library where Flynn worked full time as a Librarian.

"Am I doing the right thing Jenkins?" She asked her trusted friend as she stared at the locked door in front of her. "I can't even bring myself to open the door."

"If I might be bold?" He asked earning a nod. "You don't have to do this now, adopting this child. You can still take a little time."

"How much time?" It's been three years." She said wearily. Jenkins was about to speak but decided against it. "I have to do this."

The room was covered with old boxes and furniture. She knew Jenkins and Flynn came and went to clean and store things from time to time. She took a deep breath as the sun covered her face.

"Eve?" She heard Flynn call for her. "You don't have to..."

"We need to get the room ready." She told him.

Flynn glanced over at Jenkins. "What color should we use? I asked Jenkins to get green, I think it's a good one." She sniffled, feeling Flynn behind her. "Is that a color he'd like?"

"I'm sure he'd love the room no matter what." Flynn said softly.

* * *

It was a saturday, Cassie remembered it well because she had been watching cartoons when the door rang, Jenkins was quick on his feet to answer the door as his parents were in the back of the complex.

"Flynn!" She'd heard her mother call. "Get Jake, Cassie come here sweetie."

Cassie bit her lip unsure. "Mommy? Do I look pretty?"

"Of course baby, you do as always." Her mother beamed as she took her hand. "What about me?"

"Beautiful." She added, clinging to her small doll with her free hand.

Cassie didn't know how to imagine the little boy, she'd seen a picture of him as her parents had explained the little boy was 4 years old and came from Australia. Cassie's seen that name somewhere so she went to look for it in the globe in Jake's room. It had small pins of all the places Jake and Flynn had said they'd travel to someday

She'd asked her brother to show her where Australia was. It seemed to be very far away as Jake had spinned the globe a couple times to find it. "Flynn, Eve." Cassie watched as a lady came in first, she was talking to her parents as Jake stood next to her. "This is Ezekiel"

The little boy appeared from behind the lady's coat. "It's okay Ezekiel, come in. This is Eve." She pointed to her mother. "And that's Flynn."

Cassie watched as the little boy's eyes drifted from side to side. "Nice to meet you Ezekiel, it's that what you'd like us to call you?"

"It's good to finally meet you. You're an inquiring little guy, aren't you'"

"Can he talk?" Jake asked suddenly.

"Yes, of course." the lady said. "He's just a little shy, why don't you come and introduce yourself?" Jake felt suddenly anxious. He turned to his father for reassurance.

"Hi, I'm Jacob. You can call me Jake." The boy said stretching his hand out. Ezekiel looked at him curiously but didn't even tried to reach out. "That's Cassie." She pointed to his sister a moment later.

"Well...I'd like to go over some papers with you if that's alright?" The social worker asked after a moment.

"Of course, Jenkins..." Eve motioned to the kids. "This way..."

And so Jake and Cassie found themselves in the room, with Jenkins suggesting they should take Ezekiel through a tour of the place.

"Go on ahead Jacob." Jenkins said, Jake nodded. He first showed him the living room, which was closest to the door, the main dining room although they usually ate in the kitchen.

"Come on, rooms are this way." Jacob led away, funny enough the little boy followed suit behind Cassie. "You got your own room, mom and I help set it up."

"It's green. Do you like green?" Cassie asked relaxing a bit more. "It was pink but..."

"We'd thought you'd like that one better but if you like pink..." Jake said, he opened the door and stepped inside. "So, bed, and desk, closet."

"Well I see you're well off without me." Mrs Monroe said with a smile. "I'll call and check in tonight. See how's he's settling in."

"Of course." Flynn said.

"Ezekiel, I have to go now...Can I get a hug?" Eve and Flynn watched as the boy moved over to say goodbye. Flynn placed a hand on Eve's shoulder. "You be good to these nice people alright?"

He nodded slowly.

Eve smiled as she pulled Jake and Cassie closer to her. "Mom?"

"Yes, Jake?"

"I don't think he likes us." Cassie said. She looked over at her brother and then at the little boy who still had his hand raised as the door closed behind Mrs. Monroe.

Now the real challenge began.

* * *

 _ **Sooo... I had a dream last night and this is what came of it. Sorry if the characters are a bit off. Let me know what you think**_


	2. Chapter 2

**And The Trials Of Parenthood**

 **AU. After a tragedy, Flynn and Eve take on the challenge of adopting 4 year old Ezekiel Jones while their other children Cassie and Jake struggle to adapt to the changes around them. Evlynn and theirlittle Lits.**

 **I own nothing.**

Cassie walked to school with her mother and Jake, it had been a few weeks since Ezekiel's arrival. She was in the second grade in spite of being just six years old.

Truth be told, she'd be far more advanced than that but Flynn and Eve didn't want her to miss on the opportunity of making friends as Jake had so they kept her not too far ahead but she'd inherited her father's difficulty to socialize.

"Mommy?" Cassie asked. "Where's Ezekiel going to go to school?"

"Well, he's starting here in a few days. We just need him to adjust to us a bit more." Eve said. Jake wasn't sure that was possible. The little boy had barely spoken to them since arriving.

"What if he's sick or something?" Jake asked. Eve shot him a look and Cassie looked worried.

"There's nothing wrong with him Jake. He just needs time adjusting." Eve said as they arrived to the gate. "Have a great day. Learn a lot." She watched as Cassie made her way inside, before pulling Jake to the side.

"Hey, what's going on with you? You've been over Ezekiel ever since he got here. I thought we'd agreed on trying our best?" Jake looked down but she wouldn't allow him to divert his gaze. "Jake?"

"I'm going to be late." He told her. She knew he was avoiding her.

"Will you please talk to me?" She begged but Jake wouldn't budge. "Jake, please."

"Eve?"A voice said behind her. It was Laurel Worth. Her daughter was in the same grade as Cassie. "I thought that was you." Jake slipped away as soon as he could. Eve called after him to no avail. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine." Eve said. Laurel stared at her for a moment.

"I heard you and Flynn became foster parents. How's that working out?"

Where had she heard that? Eve brushed it off. "It can't be easy for your kids to share a home with a complete stranger."

"He's just a little boy who needs to be able to feel safe again." Eve said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"No, of course not. I'm just saying with all that you and Flynn work..."

"We're all working parents. That's not a crime." Eve answered back. "Speaking of which, I should go."

She sighed and brushed off the annoying feeling of that woman grilling her. She made it back into her run in record time and slipped into the Annex. "Jenkins?"

"Yes?" The older man appeared in the kitchen where she had just found Ezekiel with a bowl of cereal. She smiled at the little boy. "I was just going to check on you. Sleep okay?" Ezekiel looked at her but didn't speak. "Well I have to go to work, my job isn't as close as Flynn's but if you need anything sweetie, you can ask Jenkins okay?"

Again, the little boy didn't say utter a word. "Jenkins."

"Of course, don't you worry about a thing Miss Eve. We could go to the park."

"That sounds like a plan." Eve smiled making her way over to her bedroom."Thank you."

She took a deep breath, sitting on the bed. Her head was pounding and her heart felt constricted in her chest.

 _Could they really make this work?_

* * *

"What are you doing there Librarian?" Eve sneaked over her husband's fixated face on a book. She was already dressed and ready for work.

"Hey." Flynn said softly. "Is everything okay?" Oh crap, he could read her like a book. "Jake?"

"He's just struggling with all of this Flynn, I don't know how to get through to him, I have always been able to." Flynn closed his book.

"I'll pick him up from school, maybe go for a walk?" She knew he worried too, but he didn't want to add up to her doubts, even though he could easily be freaking out, in the last few years he'd been her rock through all of it.

"He loves those." Eve said.

"And Ice cream." Flynn perked up.

"Well you love ice cream more than he does." Eve smiled. "Okay, now I really have to go, I'm going to be late." She leaned to kiss him softly. "I love you."

And that she did.

Eve remembered first meeting Flynn Carsen fresh from college. He was a teacher there, not that she knew at first he was her age. He hadn't asked her out.

Flynn was too awkward for that. She understood rather quickly that Flynn struggled socially so she took a lead and asked him out. She wished she could have taken a picture of his face when it happened.

And so she went out with him and loved it. Flynn was so different from her usual boyfriends, mostly bad boys. She knew just how much his mother loved her.

She loved the fact that she'd gotten through his armor too, but she understood him and most importantly didn't judge his brilliant mind, didn't insult his intelligence, actually it was one of the most endearing things she'd loved about Flynn.

When it didn't annoy the hell out of her.

Eve took a deep breath and walked into work. Carla, one of her closest friends at the center greeted her. "Who spilled your coffee?" She asked as soon as she saw her.

"What?" Eve asked.

"Is Ezekiel still not talking?"

"No, and Jake is just not having any of it." Eve said. Carla smiled.

"Well, he's your first, is it possible he's jealous?" Her friend inquired. Eve hadn't thought of that at all. Jake wasn't the jealous kind, he was her perfect little boy, he loved Cassie and did his chores; most times; loved doing homework and helping Flynn down at the library on weekends. He had a temper, sure, but that he'd gotten from her and mostly she made him channel it with sports.

"I honestly don't know." Eve had been working at the rehab center for almost ten years, longer than Flynn had been a Librarian and she loved her job, right after Jake was born she understood being a Nato agent medic wasn't an option anymore so she opted for volunteer work at first and now she was a floor supervisor, she still got to work with patients but her hours weren't as long and she could go home spend time with her kids.

"He's still not speaking, but he hasn't been with us long enough, after all he's been through I'm not surprised." Eve said. "Flynn called it selective mutism, which it's something I've heard off but never actually seen."

"Do you think that's what's wrong?" Her friend asked again.

"I honestly don't know, it's taking me a while to figure Ezekiel out."

"Has Flynn had better luck?"

"No, and I know it's driving him crazy, with Cassie is math and Jake, they can go and on talking about history but Ezekiel? He hasn't had the chance."

"And knowing him he's going through all the logicals huh?" Carla laughed. Eve sighed.

Let see if Flynn's logic was enough to get Ezekiel to open up. "Oh girl, he's just a scared little boy, that's the only logic about it."

 _And so Eve had an idea._

* * *

"Where's Cassie again?" Jake asked as he and Flynn walked away from the school's gate.

"Jenkins is taking her and Ezekiel to see mom at the center and we're meeting them there."

"What for?" Jake asked. Flynn shrugged.

"No idea, she said she wants it to be a surprise." His father said.

"But you hate them and so does she." Jale pointed out.

"True, but..." Flynn babbled in. "Jake we just want to understand."

"This is about Ezekiel, isn't it?" Jake asked. He stopped cold in his tracks to face him. "All of it, Jenkins picking up Cassie and you coming to get me. Even the ice cream."

"So I can't take you out for ice cream now?" Flynn smiled softly but Jake's expression didn't change.

"It's not about the ice cream, it's about him." Jake threw his bag down.

"Jake, pick that up, come on." He simply walked away, then turned back.

"No." Flynn wasn't too inpatient, not when it came to his children anyway. He picked the bag up and walking behind his son as he paced himself a bit faster.

"Jake, where are you going?" Flynn called as he crossed fast enough to catch him. "Jake!"

 _Oh, this wasn't going well._

* * *

Eve was surprised when she saw her boys arrive earlier than she anticipated. She worried the moment Flynn waved his head and she understood the sugar imposed intervention had been a disaster.

"That bad huh?" She asked. Flynn nodded.

"Worst than the first day of hour honeymoon and that's putting it mildly" Flynn whispered as he put down Jake's bag and watched as Jenkins called for him to sit down with Cassie and Ezekiel.

Eve winced. "Oh, okay. Can I try?" She walked over to the kids, they were down at the peeds room where usually they tended to cases where little kids were involved. It was easier for them to deal with the hardships and pains of rehab if they were colors and toys in the room.

"So they lend you the pediatric area? What are you going to do Eve?"

"You'll see." She smiled. "So Cassie, now that Daddy and Jake are here, you want to tell them what we're doing?"

"It's called expressive drawing." The little girl said, voice perking up as she explained. "Mommy wants us to draw what is it that we are feeling." Jake rolled his eyes.

"Can I pass?"

"No, no one can pass, not even me and I'm not as good as you with those works of art you do." Eve said.

"They are just drawings," Jake said.

"No, they are not. They help you express who you are Jake, like books do." Flynn added in.

"I thought we could do this as a family, see how everyone is adjusting to being more of us now."

"It's just him, and he doesn't care, He doesn't even say thank you." Jake said crossing his arms on his chest. "This is just dumb."

Cassie tensed up and Ezekiel looked around at Jenkins. "Jake...I'm really trying here, please do it for me, okay?" Eve asked.

Jake sighed.

"Okay, let's start shall we?" Eve offered Flynn a seat next to her as Jenkins began to hand out crayons. "Here Ezekiel, you go first." Cassie said offering him the orange crayon which he'd seemed interested a moment ago. "Then we can switch."

Eve watched as Cassie got right to the task at hand, her actions mirroring Flynn's as she went. He looked at her rolling his eyes a little. "Will you just humor me?"

"You don't believe in Phycology, remember?" Flynn said knowingly.

"Well, in recent years it hasn't done either of us any harm and I'm willing to try anything." Eve said, picking up a purple crayon. "Anything."

* * *

 **Here's chapter two! How do you like it? What do you think they're** **drawings** **will be of? Sorry if my phycology or medicine are off. I'm not really a doctor but they used to do this in the center where I spent time as a child.**

 **So how will Jake connect with Ezekiel?**


	3. Chapter 3

**And The Trials Of Parenthood**

 **AU. After a tragedy, Flynn and Eve take on the challenge of adopting 4 year old Ezekiel Jones while their other children Cassie and Jake struggle to adapt to the changes around them. Evlynn and theirlittle Lits.**

 **I own nothing.**

A few months had passed since Ezekiel had come live with the Carsen family and Eve and Flynn had come to terms with the little boys's selective mutism. He usually waved his head or made signs when he needed something, but Cassie made an effort to make him chat with her.

"Don't worry Ezekiel, you'll talk once you're not so sad anymore." She said one day as they sat alone in the table during dinner. Jake had called it an early night and Jenkins had given him a sole glass of milk. "Won't he Jenkins?"

The older man smiled. "Of course Miss Cassie." He said. Jenkins honestly didn't know just how much longer this would take. The little boy seemed quite open to everyone in the family.

Everyone but young Jacob.

"May I come in?" Jenkins asked as he made sure lights were out in for the two younger kids.

"Sure Jenkins." Jake smiled. "My parents are not home yet?"

"Afraid not. Apparently this was a very much required date night." Jake's face fell. "I did tell them I would make sure everyone went to bed early."

Jake huffed. "It's Friday Jenkins. We don't have school tomorrow."

"True, but you still need your rest." The man said with a tender smile. "Actually you do remind me a lot of your father as a young boy."

Jake's interest got spiked. "He also refused to go to bed early. Books kept him up most nights."

"Mom says I'm too much like my Dad."

"She's right." Jenkins said. "But there's a lot of your mother in you as well."

"Jenkins?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you think Ezekiel will stay with us now? I mean, do you think mom and dad will adopt him?" Jake asked. He looked down as if he was ashamed to be asking such a question. "Cassie loves him."

"He is easy to care for." Jenkins said. "He has lost so many things at such a young age, it is hard for him to grasp a reality in which everything will stay the same. Does that make sense?"

"I guess. It means he might be afraid of losing us like he did his parents?" Jenkins nodded.

"Lights night Jacob." Jenkins tucked the little boy in. "I'll come back in a little while to make sure that is the case, alright?"

"Okay Jenkins. Good night." Jake smiled as Jenkins winked at him, closing the door as he went.

* * *

"So? Movie was nice wasn't it?" Eve said as she and Flynn walked to the car.

"Inaccurate." Flynn said sipping on the last of his soda. "I'll do some research and send in a letter or tweet at them"

"Or you could just leave it alone?" Eve pleaded with a tired smiled. "You know it's your fault that Cassie was the only little girl not to find Frozen as magical?"

Flynn huffed. "Well she was right to Elsa could be a rip off of the White Queen."

"Babe, I'm trying here, don't make me slap you."

"Sorry, I reverted a little bit there." He said as she kissed him.

"Yes, to a 20 year old. My 20 year old teacher."

"Whom you found very charming?" Flynn gazed at her.

"That I did." She smiled. "Anyway, accuracy aside, I loved our little date."

"It isn't over yet Mrs. Carsen." Flynn smirked at her as they reached the car. He pushed her against the door, kissing deeply on the mouth.

"Oh?" Eve said catching her breath. "What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see. I might be a librarian, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve." Flynn said with a smile.

* * *

"Hello?" Cassie walked across the Annex to the kitchen. She found her daddy sitting there like he did when he had to do some thinking.

"Hey beautiful." Flynn smiled. "Everything okay?"

Cassie shrugged. Flynn hoped down from his booth and offered his arms to the little girl. "Hey, what's with the face? I don't like that face."

Cassie smiled when Flynn pinched her cheek. "What's going on Cassie girl?"

And so Cassie thought for a moment if she should trouble her daddy with the reason she couldn't sleep. "If I tell you, you have to promise me you something."

"Oh," Flynn said. "Okay. Wait... what exactly am I promising?"

"That you won't get sad." Cassie told him.

Flynn gave her a puzzled look. "Now why would I be sad?"

"Daddy, do you love Ezekiel more than Jake now?" Flynn's heart sank.

"What?" Flynn said softly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, that's what Jake said, he said it happens to mommy's and daddies when a new kid, they love the other ones less."

Flynn put the little girl on top of the kitchen counter so he could face her directly. "No sweetie, of course not. That's never going to happen, mommy and me. We love you kids the same."

"Even Ezekiel?" She inquired.

"Well, it's a little more complicated, not because we don't love him but because he has to trust us first. Of course we have love for him and if we're given the chance we'd like him to stay with us permanently. What do you think?"

"I'd like that Daddy." Cassie smiled. "I really like him too, I want him to stay and be my little brother. We can be his forever family right?"

"We can, of course." Flynn said. "And whatever Jake tells you Cassie, you just got to listen to your heart instead, your brother? Well he's already done this a couple times so it might be a little bit harder for him, let's give him some more time."

"Well mommy does say boys are slower." Cassie said much to Flynn's amusement.

"Of course she does." Flynn smiled. "Come on, I'll take you back to bed."

"I love you Daddy." Cassie said wrapping her small arms around his neck.

"I love you too, Cassie girl."

* * *

"Flynn, Eve." The principal said as she sat them both down. "I've known you for a long time, so I'm paying you the courtesy of having you here..."

"Olivia, would you just cut to the chase?" Eve said. Flynn eyed the woman but remained quiet.

"It's Jake's demeanor. It's changing quite a bit."

"Changed, how?" Flynn inquired.

"He's easily annoyed and his grades are suffering, for the first time he missed homework and made up some excuse about not needing it because he was too smart?" Eve and Flynn looked at each other. "Jake is quite gifted of course, so is Cassie but they've always done quite well even though they might be a little ahead of their classmates."

"Of course, we'll talk to him." Eve said. "He's just adjusting..."

"I heard about the adoption. How's that going?"

"It's not final yet, we're just fostering but Jake's just been struggling with having to adapt to another sibling you know?" Eve explained. "Not that it's an excuse for his behavior."

"Of course." Olivia said. "I understand, like I said, I'm doing this because I care for Jake and I know he can do better. That's all."

"Do you mind if we take him home now?" Flynn asked.

"I don't see a problem. I wish you both the best." Olivia said sweetly. "I honestly do."

* * *

Eve remembered when she had first found out she was pregnant. She was quite young and a newlywed but she always knew even in his quirkiness, Flynn would be a wonderful father.

Then her baby boy had made their lives crazy but raising him had been the most beautiful adventure she and Flynn had been in. Jake with his beautiful blue eyes and inquisitive nature was mostly like Flynn. He had learned to read at age two and by four could manage books by himself. He loved drawing and making scale Lego figures.

He was just a boy, but she was sensing there might be something more troubling Jake than he had been letting on.

"Are you mad?" Jake asked as Flynn stopped the car just outside the school. They've barely made it a few feet before Eve had began to try and make him talk.

"You tell us Jake. Should we be mad?"

"I only told them I thought they were wrong. I'm supposed to be in the sixth grade and they don't even know how to teach about the Romans. I've read about them so I corrected the teacher. I thought you wanted me to try and learn far more than from books."

"Books can teach you a lot, that's true. You can almost learn all you need to know from them." Flynn said. "But buddy's if there's one thing I've learned is that there can be more to learning than just books. People can teach you more than you know. Like when I met mom, God I was just a mess when it came to talking to girls and so my colleagues would make fun of me because I was younger but I struggled."

"What did you do?" Jake asked.

"I did nothing. Your mother did, she broke me out my shell." He explained. "And you happened and then Cassie and I understood I could learn more from people than I had from books."

"Your father's point is sweetie, that we understand how smart you are and we want to you shine, just for who you are. Not because you feel like you have something to prove."

"We know it hasn't been easy, all of the changes that have happened in such a short time..."

"I don't hate Ezekiel, if that's what you're worried about." Jake said. Flynn and Eve glanced at each other. "I don't even dislike him, I just feel like he and I, we're not meant to be brothers."

"Oh honey, there's more to that than blood., you know that right?" Eve said. "How about you try and be his friend first huh? See how it goes." Jake smiled.

"Here." He reached for his bag and took a crumpled paper. "Remember the other day at the center? You had us draw what we were feeling?"

"Is that why you didn't want us to see it?" Eve asked, handing the paper to Flynn. "Oh sweetie, you don't have to worry about us."

"Yeah I do, I remember when it happened okay? Cassie doesn't but I do and I just didn't want you to be sad."

Eve held the piece of paper in her hand as the drawings Jake made mirrored those of a conflicted 9 year old who just happened to be in the sixth grade and whom the loss of his sister was more present in his life than he anticipated.

There Eve held the picture of a family that seemed to be broken. Flynn, she and Cassie were together. Jake further away and Ezekiel in a corner, with tears and a sad face painted and another person with wings that Eve knew was Emily, his baby sister flying close to be with the lonely Ezekiel.

Jake was trying to find a way to connect with the lonely little boy but he also was trying to make sense of where he stood in his family.

* * *

 **Ah man! That last part was so hard to write. What did you think?**


End file.
